Pundit and former Arsenal star Paul Merson believes Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is struggling after his move from Barcelona back to the Etihad this summer.
It’s been an usually tumultuous start to the campaign for Pep Guardiola‘s side who suffered four defeats on the bounce for the first time in the manager’s tenure prior to the international break. They were beaten by Tottenham in the League Cup, Sporting CP in the Champions League and they suffered league defeats against Bournemouth and Brighton before the recent two week break.
City’s recent struggle for form has, in part, been amplified by the absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. The Spanish international suffered a devastating ACL injury earlier in the season and the Premier League champions have struggled to fill the void.
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They don’t necessarily lack the personnel and their midfield ranks were bolstered over the summer when Gundogan re-joined the club. The German international initially departed in the summer of 2023 as a free agent to La Liga giants Barcelona, but he was allowed to leave on a free transfer just 12 months later and City wasted no time in bringing him back to the Etihad.
This season, Gundogan has featured in all but one of City’s games so far in all competitions. But, he hasn’t impressed Merson as the pundit believes the 34-year-old has struggled to hit the heights of his previous spell at the club.
“Manchester City not being their usual self is entirely down to Rodri’s absence and not because Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan are firing,” Merson told Sports Keeda. “Rodri moves the ball quickly and that opens up space, City are missing that now.
“But, I certainly think Gundogan looks nowhere near the player he was before. He is struggling.”
City return to action this weekend with a crucial Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur. It’s a must-win game for the champions as they are currently five points behind league leaders Liverpool and they face the Merseyside outfit at Anfield a week later.
